EAST ST. LOUIS – The Illinois State Police are investigating a police pursuit in East St. Louis that ended early Feb. 14, 2026, with a driver found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, after the East St. Louis Police Department requested the state agency’s Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 6 to handle the case.

East St. Louis police officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop at about 2:28 a.m. near the intersection of 47th Street and State Street, according to an Illinois State Police news release issued Sunday. During the stop, the vehicle fled from officers, struck a raised concrete median, and became disabled at the intersection of 25th Street and St. Clair Avenue.

Officers approached the vehicle and found the driver deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, the release said.

The investigation is open and ongoing. Illinois State Police said it is processing evidence and conducting interviews. When the investigation is complete, “all evidence and facts will be submitted for review to the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office,” the release said.

No additional information was available.